This filipino style lasagna is a unique spin on the regular lasagna recipe that will not disappoint! With ground beef, banana ketchup, and hot dogs used for the savory sauce, each layer of this lasagna is fully stuffed with all that amazing flavor!
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Seriously, this is the ultimate filipino style lasagna full of that beefy sauce and loaded with a blend of cheese!
This sauce is so good with a secret ingredient used to add a hint of sweetness that blends all the flavors together for that perfect consistency! Any guesses? Hint: It’s not sugar!
Super easy to assemble as there is no right way to stuff each layer for the most delicious beefy lasagna recipe!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this filipino style lasagna.
Recipe difficulty: Beginner to medium level as with any lasagna recipe there is prep needed!
For this filipino lasagna recipe, some favorite ingredients will be used such as banana ketchup, ground beef, and even hot dogs to develop the tangy sauce! The prep work of these ingredients will be super easy, and if you have a food processor, it’s even easier! Make sure to read my tips for below for what you will ABSOLUTELY NEED for this recipe!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Filipino Style Lasagna
The Secret Ingredient
Drumroll please! As seen in The Ultimate Filipino Spaghetti Sauce Recipe, the secret ingredient we love to use is pineapple juice!
Pineapple juice will give you the best flavor for this filipino style lasagna recipe, without making it overly sweet.
I know this may sound weird, but combined with the banana ketchup and tomato sauce, you won’t get a strong pineapple taste but will get the sweetness instead!
Use a Food Processor
Now I’m all about saving time and effort, and in this case, using the FOOD PROCESSOR will lead to a BETTER consistency in this homemade beef lasagna.
When adding the onion, garlic, and even the hot dogs, I like to run it in the food processor until a finely chopped consistency is reached. Not mushy, finely chopped!
If you don’t have a food processor, no worries, just plan to manually finely chop the ingredients.
Assembling the Layers in our Filipino Style Lasagna
Seriously one of the easiest filipino lasagna recipes out there! There is no wrong way to assemble the layers!
No need to measure each layer out, as literally you can just dump a large spoonful (or handful!) of each topping into the layers.
So the basic order is noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, and cheese for an extra saucy filipino style lasagna! Super easy!
What is Banana Ketchup?
Banana ketchup is a favorite in Filipino cuisine and can be served with a Tortang Talong Recipe with Giniling | Grilled Eggplant Omelet with Meat or as a favorite dipping sauce.
Fun fact, traditionally there is actually no tomato in this condiment! However, it does have sugar, vinegar, banana, and other ingredients to create a yummy, sweet flavor!
Need help finding this ingredient? Download our Top 5 Crazy-Cheap Ingredients You Need for Filipino Cooking and Where to Find It from my free resource library!
Key Ingredients – Filipino Style Lasagna
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
Pasta and Meat
- Lasagna noodles: The obvious ingredient! I shared this tip in my Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe with Pasta, but make sure to cook the pasta with salt and olive oil in the water. The salt helps flavor the pasta and the olive oil prevents the noodles from sticking.
- Ground beef: Try to get a high lean content of ground beef! We shared this tip in our Filipino Beef Giniling to Warm the Soul | Meat Stew for the best flavor. It’s also a lot healthier, even if you don’t strain the oil from the meat!
- Hot dogs: You can use Filipino hot dogs or get the all-beef hot dogs. This is a favorite in the sauce!
Sauce
- Onion: Onion and garlic is like the basics for any type of filipino dish!
- Garlic: 5 cloves is needed for the best flavor! That’s right folks, 5 cloves!
- Banana ketchup: A favorite filipino condiment! Using a ½ cup of banana ketchup will also help thicken the sauce and give great flavor.
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is the base of this beefy lasagna recipe full of that delicious sauce.
- Tomato paste: The tomato paste is used to thicken this filipino style lasagna for the perfect consistency.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes: Using the fire roasted diced tomatoes gives a nice spice to the sauce and adds texture to the lasagna. Make sure to drain the can before dumping!
- Pineapple juice: The secret ingredient in this spaghetti sauce! 1 cup of pineapple juice will simmer with the tomato sauce and meat mixture.
- Bay leaves: 5 bay leaves will simmer with all these delicious ingredients! Be sure to remove the bay leaves when serving! (No one wants to eat a leaf!)
- Chili flakes: Use ½ a tablespoon of chili flakes for some spice. You can tone this down, but with all the sweetness in the sauce, this gives the right balance.
- Basil: Using a tablespoon of dried basil adds a nice, herb flavor to the sauce. Make sure to always keep some in your spice rack!
- Oregano: Using oregano in pasta sauce is pretty common, and this filipino lasagna recipe is no exception! Therefore, a tablespoon of dried oregano does wonders for this sauce.
Cheese
- Part-skim ricotta: For an incredibly creamy lasagna recipe, the ricotta cheese will create a smooth, cheesy layer in every bite.
- Egg: Secret trick here! Mixing the egg with the ricotta cheese will create an even creamier spread in this filipino style lasagna.
- Shredded parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese is a fave like in our Creamy Pappardelle with Italian Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes. Make sure to get the real stuff not from the can!
- Mozzarella cheese: We love a mix of cheeses for the best filipino lasagna recipe. As a result, mix 1 cup of parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella to top the rich sauce in our lasagna.
More Variations to this Filipino Style Lasagna
There are a few ways you can variate this filipino style lasagna. Here’s how:
- Change the cheese blend. If you would like to use a different blend of cheese in this creamy lasagna recipe, try mixing parmesan cheese with Manchego or even Gruyere for a rich cheese layer in the lasagna.
- Italian sausage: Not a fan of hot dogs? No problem! Substitute the hot dogs in this filipino lasagna recipe with spicy Italian sausage for an extra kick!
- What can I pair with this dish? This filipino style lasagna recipe is a solid main dish and sure to be a family favorite! Certainly, save room for dessert with our Rich and Creamy Mango Cheesecake Instant Pot Recipe or Fluffy Bread Machine Ube Bread Rolls with a Sugared Cream Cheese Frosting to finish the meal off the right way!
Interested in Filipino cuisine, but don’t know where to begin? Download our Top 5 Crazy-Cheap Ingredients You Need for Filipino Cooking and Where to Find It from my free resource library!
- 20-Minute Filipino Sardines Pasta Recipe
- 5-Topping Filipino Palabok Recipe with Easy Shrimp Sauce
- 11-Minute Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Easy Filipino Biko Recipe with Toasted Coconut | Sweet Sticky Rice Cake
Beefy Filipino Style Lasagna That is Extremely Saucy
Ingredients
Pasta
- 9 lasagna pasta noodles
Sauce
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 5 all-beef hot dogs chopped
- 1 onion finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes drained
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 8 ounces pineapple juice
- ½ cup banana ketchup
- ½ tablespoon chili flakes plus more for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried basil plus more for seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oregano plus more for seasoning
Cheese
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
- nonstick spray
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions. Before the water starts to boil, add about a tablespoon of salt and olive oil into the water. Stir the pasta to prevent sticking and drain when ready.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the ground beef. Cook until browned for 5-7 minutes.
- Using a FOOD PROCESSOR, finely chop the onion and garlic cloves (recommended approach). Add the chopped onion and garlic to the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, fired roasted diced tomatoes (drained), chopped hot dogs, banana ketchup, pineapple juice, chili flakes, dried basil, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Season with additional chili flakes, basil, or oregano if needed.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray nonstick spray on a 9×13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix the egg and ricotta until creamy. Set aside. Combine the parmesan and mozzarella cheese in another bowl. Set aside.
- To assemble the lasagna, pat dry the cooked noodles. Add a thin layer of the meat sauce to the casserole dish. Put 3 noodles on top. Add a layer of ricotta cheese, then a layer of the meat sauce, and top with the combined parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layer two more times ending with the cheese topping. (You will have 3 layers).
- Spray aluminum foil with the nonstick spray and cover the casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adapted from The Ultimate Filipino Spaghetti Sauce Recipe.
- There is no wrong way to assemble the layers! No need to measure each layer out, as literally you can just dump a large spoonful (or handful!) of each topping into the layers. The basic order is noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, and cheese.
- See Sam’s Pro Tips for this Filipino Style Lasagna for further details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a lasagna a lasagna?
A great lasagna has a rich, beefy sauce and is loaded with cheese. Moreover, the sauce can be made without meat as well.
What are the 3 main components of lasagna?
The three components of lasagna are noodles, sauce, and cheese.
What is the rule of thumb in regard to substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs?
Dry herbs are more potent compared to fresh herbs. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs. For example, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried parsley.
This post was all about how to create this filipino style lasagna.
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